Ednah Nzombe's story

The year is fast coming to an end and the deadlines are mounting up, while thinking about which company to join. It is still difficult to calculate the proudest moment of my masters’ journey because it is yet to come.

I am proud that I have managed to pass all my assessments and exams, great news for any student. The course has looked at various modules like Project Finance, Procurement, Risk Management, Strategy, Project IT and the fundamentals and methodologies of Project Management.

I have also received the following certifications through the university: PRINCE2®, MoR®and AgilePM® with APMG, these will be beneficial when applying for work. I have also joined other membership bodies and completed a Quantity Surveying course with RICS.

Personal insights

What are your career ambitions and have you had any challenges along the way?

I hope to work in the Construction Industry, for a large and international organisation. Challenges? Not really, the year has been what life often is - a mix of highs lows and very average days.

What advice would you give to a student wishing to enter a career in project management?

You need to able to listen and understand; analyse and decide; strong willed and flexible. Most of all you need to have passion for environments that are high in uncertainty, change and diversity. Learn to work with others!

Tell us about your greatest achievement so far

My greatest achievement would be to write an informative and well researched dissertation that shed light on the importance of Strategic and Systems Thinking to Project Management to ensure project success. Which brings me to thanking Arup Project Management for agreeing to participate in my research to compete my dissertation.

Explain your decision to become a member of APM

APM was introduced to me at the University of Westminster. At first, all students were joining and I knew of some of the benefits. My confidence in APM grew when I discovered with Specific Interest Groups (SIGs), specifically Systems Thinking. My interactions with some of the members have influenced my decision to write about systems thinking in my dissertation.

Using specific examples, how has APM membership help you in your studies?

The APM Library, the SIGs (especially Systems Thinking and Knowledge Management), white papers and other free publications have been helpful sources of information for my assessments.

I enjoyed attending the APM conference and I will be attending further events in the future - the networking and information attained was beneficial. It was great that I was able to attend thanks to the Student member discount I received.

I will also apply for a more senior membership upon completion of my degree. I look forward to contributing practically to projects in the near future.